The new Maserati Levante SUV has officially landed in the UK, and as usual the British branch of the Italian automaker marked the event with a star-studded event. Levante’s welcome party was held at the Royal Horticultural Halls.

Hosted by TV and radio presenter Lisa Snowdon alongside Giulio Pastore, Maserati Europe’s General Manager, Maserati Levante UK debut event was RSVP’d by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Alex James, Olivia Grant and Leigh-Anne Pinnock. It also featured music from celebrity DJ duo Amber Le Bon and Becky Tong, and real-time canvas painting of the car by artist Anna-Louise Felstead.

It feels like yesterday when Maserati’s range only included the Quattroporte sedan and the GranTurismo coupe. But they made good on their promise of increasing sales and variety of their product, and today they have five, including Quattroporte, Ghibli, GranTurismo and GranCabrio, and the new Maserati Levante. Thing is though, the latter faces stiff competition in the SUV market.

Price-wise, the Levante Diesel will start in the UK at £54,335 for the base model, £60,285 when equipped with the Luxury or Sport pack, and £61,185 for the Zenga Edition.

Giulio Pastore commented: “The launch of Levante tonight marks a truly significant moment for Maserati in the UK. With strong demand for luxury SUVs, we are now able to appeal to an even wider audience. The best thing about Levante is that it’s a true and pure Maserati that has perfect on-road and off-road capabilities, offering owners the ultimate in terms of elegance, practicality and comfort of a luxury SUV yet retaining the marque’s performance DNA.”